Kissinger, Blair see Russia as key player

During their visits to Moscow yesterday, the two influential men also hightlighted Russia’s vital role in international politics, both as military power and energy provider. -Global challenges cannot be solved without the participation of countries like Russia, Mr. Blair said at the Renaissance Capital investment conference. Asked by a member of the conference audience where the next major international conflict might come from, Kissinger warned that the search for energy security could lead to aggression as countries scramble to secure energy supplies, Mr. Kissinger said. “If supply is limited and demand increases, if countries compete for access to energy on a purely national basis, we are bound to see a repetition of the colonial conflicts of 19th century,” he added, cautioning that such conditions could degenerate into “intense political rivalry.” Both Henry Kissinger and Tony Blair the same day met with both President Dmitrii Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin